Rabbit a la Vanille

Rabbit a la Vanille

Serves 4 guests

Ingredients
4, 1½ pound rabbits
1 vanilla bean
¼ teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper
2 ounces of cooking oil
3 ounces unsalted butter
2 ounces of calvados
1 medium carrot
1 medium Spanish onion
2 bay leaves
1 celery stalk
3 ounces of port
10 ounces of white wine
24 ounces of chicken stock

Prepare the Sauce
Cut and de-bone rabbit. Reserve the legs and loin. Dice the carrot, Spanish onion and celery stalk. Roast the bones in a 400oF oven with the carrot, onion and celery. Transfer to a sauce pot. Add port and white wine. Reduce mixture in half over a medium fire. Pour in chicken stock and cook for an additional 30 minutes over a medium fire. Strain the sauce. Reduce to about 8 ounces of the remaining stock.

Cook the meat
Sear the legs and loin in oil. Add the vanilla bean cut in half lengthwise. Discard oil and add 2 ounces of unsalted butter. Cook in a 375oF oven for 10 minutes. Do not over cook.

Discard cooking fat and flambé the meat with the calvados. Introduce the sauce and bring to boil. Finish with butter. Do not reduce the sauce further once butter is added.

Serve over Savoy cabbage